2014/15 edition
Key Information for Volunteers
imperialcollegeunion.org
Key Information for the Volunteers 2014/15
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Contents 02 03 04 05 06 07 09 10 17 18 19 21 23 24 25
AA AA AA AA AA AA AA AA AA AA AA AA AA AA AA
Contents This Manual Will Frequently Asked Questions Introduction Imperial College Union Your Role Volunteer Recognition: Imperial Plus Key Contacts and Supporters Student Activities Centre (SAC) Requesting Spaces to Use Organising Activities and Advertising Safety Finance Community Connections Volunteer Policies
Tell us what you think of this training publication Š 2014 Imperial College Union Version 1 -2 June 2014 imperialcollegeunion.org/training/training-feedback
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Key Information for the Volunteers 2014/15
This manual will:
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Provide volunteers with an overview of the training available to them to support them in their role, explaining how to access further information
Identify Union Sabbatical Officers, Staff and key contacts who are able to provide help, support and advice to volunteers
3 Outline free services available at the Student Activities Centre
4 Introduce essential information relating to safety and finances and the policies you should be aware of as a volunteer.
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Frequently Asked Questions What support is available to me in my volunteer role? See Key Contacts pages 10
How do I book a room at the Union or at College? See requesting space to use on page 18
What services are available at the Student Activity Centre? Read the SAC overview on page 17
What do I need to know about running an event? Helpful tips and things you need to know are on page 19
What Union policies do I need to be aware of as a volunteer? A summary is provided on page 25
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Key Information for the Volunteers 2014/15
Introduction If you’re looking at this booklet then you are one of the thousands of students who volunteer with and via Imperial College Union each year. Congratulations! This is a really great opportunity to give something back to your peers, the College or the local community and hopefully you’ll have an enjoyable and rewarding time doing it. Before going any further, there are a couple of important points to remember: AA You and your fellow volunteers are the most important part of the Union and the work you do is greatly valued by the Union and the College. AA You are also an ambassador for the the Union and the College, so make sure you are well behaved at events and on the internet, including social networking sites or when volunteering in the community. AA You aren’t the only users of the Union’s resources and we have to ensure there are enough to go around. This is particularly applicable with use of spaces. There are lots of people here to help, so if you are unsure of anything please ask before you act!
The Purpose of this Booklet As a volunteer you’ll have access to many of the support services that the Union has to offer in order to help you carry out your role. In this booklet we’ll be showing you what these services are, how to use them, who are the useful points of contact, and the policies you should be aware of. If you are a Club, Society or Project officer, or have committee positions elsewhere within the Union, before being given access to these facilities you may be required to take a short validation quiz, which can be completed online at imperialcollegeunion.org/ validation.
Why does the Union engage volunteers? The vision of Imperial College Union is to be recognised as leaders in student development and engagement, at the heart of the student community at Imperial. One of the ways in which we do this is through the provision of volunteer opportunities; indeed a vast amount of our organisational activities are delivered by volunteers.
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Imperial College Union The Role of the Union
Union Commerce
Imperial College Union plays host to around 320 Clubs, Societies & Projects, with a membership that covers around half of the students at Imperial.
The Union also oversees the running of four bars and a nightclub, as well as a newsagent and a shop both located on the Sherfield walkway. Overall, the Union has an annual turnover of over £6 million. Our website imperialcollegeunion.org is also the most visited Students’ Union website in the country.
The Union is also the hub of academic representation when it comes to educational matters and raising concerns with College departments and staff. In order to do this, all students are automatically a member of a Faculty Union for undergraduates or the Graduate Students’ Union for postgraduates. There is also a myriad of other volunteer roles at the Union, from ones with a welfare remit, to others which are key to administering the finances of Clubs, Societies & Projects. In addition, you may volunteer in the local community through Community Connections or an Imperial Hub project.
Who runs the Union? There are five Sabbatical Officers of the Union, including the President and four Deputy Presidents who are students elected annually to look after the Union. The Union is also supported by a team of permanent staff.
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Your Role This Key Information booklet is only one small part of the training which is available to support you in your volunteer role. All the information regarding training is available on the Union website at imperialcollegeunion.org/training, regardless of what your volunteer role is. Throughout the year, drop in sessions will be running at a variety of times and locations where you can come along and ask any question on anything connected to your volunteer role. There is more targeted training available depending on your role, some of which is mandatory. There are boundaries to each volunteer role, these are outlined in the detailed training materials about volunteer positions. This particularly applies to financial responsibility, signing of contracts and speaking on behalf of the Union. If you are unsure about the boundaries to your volunteer role you should seek guidance from the most appropriate contact as outlined in the Key Contacts section of this booklet. You will be contacted individually over the coming months with details of specific training requirements, but an overview is given here.
Clubs, Societies & Projects For those who are involved in running a Club, Society or Project all training is via training manuals and quizzes. Some of this training is mandatory depending on which role you are undertaking. For Chairs/Presidents the Principal Officers and Money In, Money Out and other Finance modules are also mandatory. For Treasurers the mandatory modules are all those that are finance related. Sports team captains and fixture secretaries must complete Sports Management, and anyone acting as a marshal at a large event must have completed the Marshaling training quiz. Anyone responsible for requesting spaces on the College campuses must undertake the Requesting Spaces training quiz before they can request spaces in College.
Academic Representatives For Academic Representatives face-to-face training sessions will be taking place in the Autumn, but make sure you catch up with the person currently undertaking the role to handover any unresolved issues and ongoing projects. Make sure you get introduced to important staff members in your department or division. An academic representation conference will take place later in the year
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Your Role
Other volunteers For others holding a volunteer role in the Union you will receive information about training specifically for your role. All the information regarding training sessions, materials and other requirements can be found online at imperialcollegeunion.org/ training
Help and support If you feel you need support in your volunteer role you should contact the most appropriate person as outlined in the Key Contacts section of this booklet.
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It is important that your studies are put before any volunteer role. You should not be asked to undertake tasks which put your academic studies at risk or under pressure. If you experience any circumstance of this kind you should either contact the most relevant person to support you in your role, or follow the complaints procedure outlined in the Volunteer Polices section of this manual.
Volunteer Recognition: Imperial Plus Imperial Plus Volunteers play such a vital role in delivering the Union’s services and activities for our members which benefit both our members and the local community. Imperial Plus is based around six key skills: communication, team work, planning & organising, negotiation & persuasion, problem solving and personal effectiveness. Not only are these skills relevant to all of our volunteers, but are skills sought by graduate recruiters. Hours from multiple roles can be used towards the Volunteer Certificate or Volunteer Accreditation and for anyone achieving the Volunteer Accreditation, they can apply for the Volunteer Qualification.
Imperial Plus Volunteer Certificate The Volunteer Certificate acknowledges 25, 50 and 75 hours of volunteering, with volunteers choosing which certificate they work towards and requires little additional time or effort of volunteers. Volunteer hours will need to be logged on eActivities identifying the tasks carried out and skills used.
Imperial Plus Volunteer Accreditation
Volunteers will need to participate in four out of six skill based workshops, producing a short reflective assignment identifying how they have used the learning outcomes of each workshop in their volunteer role. Assignments will need to demonstrate how volunteers meet the criteria in the Skills Assesment Framework.
Imperial Plus Volunteer Qualification Volunteers can apply to undertake the Imperial Plus Volunteer Qualification, an ILM Level 5 in the Management of Volunteer qualification. Volunteers who have a volunteer role with or via Imperial College Union in the subsequent academic year are eligible to apply. The Volunteer Qualification is delivered by an external training provider at the Union and consists of four one day workshops and two assignments.
Record of Your Volunteering Role In addition to Imperial Plus you can download a list of all the roles, memberships, training and any awards you have received from the Union by logging into eActivities
Accredited externally by awarding body ASDAN, the Volunteer Accreditation requires volunteers to log 100 hours of volunteering. Key Information for the Volunteers 2014/15
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Key contacts and supporters There are many people associated with the Union who are available to help you in your role. Some are volunteers like you and others are full-time paid members of staff Tom Wheeler President
union.president@imperial.ac.uk 020 7594 8060, extension 58061
Abigail de Bruin Deputy President (Clubs & Societies)
dpcs@imperial.ac.uk 020 7594 1763, extension 41763
Pascal Loose Deputy President (Education)
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Alex Savell Deputy President (Finance & Services)
dpfs@imperial.ac.uk 020 7594 8060, extension 58062
Christopher Kaye Deputy President (Welfare)
dpwelfare@imperial.ac.uk 020 7594 8060, extension 58064
Philippa Skett Felix Editor
felix@imperial.ac.uk 020 7594 8072, extension 48072
Constituent Union Presidents There are six constituent Unions, each has a President elected by the students they represent. All except the ICSMSU President are volunteers. Nida Mahmud Graduate Students’ Union
gsu.president@imperial.ac.uk
Dariush Hassanzadeh-Baboli Imperial College School of Medicine Students’ Union
medic.president@imperial.ac.uk 020 7594 8079, extension 48079
Timothy Munday City & Guilds College Union
engineering.president@imperial.ac.uk 020 7594 8073, extension 48073
Benjamin Warnick Royal School of Mines Union
rsm.president@imperial.ac.uk
Serena Yuen Royal College of Science Union
rcsu.president@imperial.ac.uk 020 7594 8459, extension 48459
Shorok Mombrikotb & Claire Bankier (Co-Presidents) Silwood Park Union
silpres@imperial.ac.uk
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Key contacts and supporters
Academic Representatives The network of academic representatives is supported by the Deputy President (Education) and the Education & Welfare Manager. Pascal Loose Deputy President (Education)
dpeducation@imperial.ac.uk 020 7594 5646, extension 45646
Andrew Keenan Education & Welfare Manager
a.keenan@imperial.ac.uk 020 7594 5384, extension 45387
Depending on the subject, and whether the course is undergraduate or postgraduate, there are different volunteers who support and manage department, division, year and course representatives. James Murphy CGCU Academic Affairs Officer
cgcuaao@imperial.ac.uk
Zoe Hsu RCSU Academic Affairs Officer
rcsu-aao@imperial.ac.uk
Usama Asif ICSMSU Academic Officer (Early Years)
icsm.ao12gep@imperial.ac.uk
Salma Haddad ICSMSU Academic Officer (Clinical Years)
medic.edrep356@imperial. ac.uk
Cyin San ICSMSU Academic Officer (Science Years)
academic.officer4bp@imperial. ac.uk
Emma Toms RSMU Academic Liaison Officer
rsmu-alo@imperial.ac.uk awo-bus@imperial.ac.uk
GSU Academic & Welfare Officer Business Hassan Ahmadzadeh GSU Academic & Welfare Officer Engineering
awo-eng@imperial.ac.uk
Rachel Vaux GSU Academic & Welfare Officer Life Sciences
awo-lifesci@imperial.ac.uk
Mike Asavarut GSU Academic & Welfare Officer Medicine
awo-medicine@imperial.ac.uk
GSU Academic & Welfare Officer Physical Sciences
awo-physsci@imperial.ac.uk
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Key contacts and supporters
Club, Society & Project Officers For those involved in running a Club, Society or Project there are a wide number of people available to support you. The Deputy President (Clubs & Societies) and Deputy President (Finance & Services) are the two principal Sabbatical Officer contacts, while the Student Activities Manager, Sports Partnership Administrator, Student Activities Coordinator and Clubs & Societies Finance Administrator are members of full-time staff. Additionally there are a number of volunteers who run each Management Group, whose details can be found on the next page.
Abigail de Bruin Deputy President (Clubs & Societies)
dpcs@imperial.ac.uk 020 7594 1763, extension 41763
Alex Savell Deputy President (Finance & Services)
dpfs@imperial.ac.uk 020 7594 8060, extension 58062
Anthony Crowther Student Activities Manager
a.crowther@imperial.ac.uk 020 7594 3496, extension 43496
Student Activities Coordinator
transport@imperial.ac.uk 020 7594 8098 extension 48098
Hannah Blandford Sports Partnership Administrator
h.blandford@imperial.ac.uk 020 7594 3479 extension 43479
Aziz Bilgrami Clubs & Societies Finance Administrator
clubs.finance@imperial.ac.uk 020 7594 1514, extension 41514
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Key contacts and supporters
Volunteers involved in running Clubs, Societies & Projects are also supported by their Management Group Chair (or appropriate alternative officer) and Management Group Treasurer. Each Club, Society & Project is allocated a Management Group, details of the contacts are below:
Group Chair
Treasurer
ACC
Oliver Benton acc.chair@imperial.ac.uk
Jasper Stassen & Mohammad Ali Shahadat acc.treasurer@imperial.ac.uk
A&E
Jonathan McNaught ae.chair@imperial.ac.uk
Rachael Fletcher ae.treasurer@imperial.ac.uk
CAG
Michael Chung cag.chair@imperial.ac.uk
Huong Vu cag.treasurer@imperial.ac.uk
CGCU
Timothy Munday vpa@imperial.ac.uk
Dmitri Ivanov vpfs@imperial.ac.uk
GSU
Nida Mahmud gsu.president@imperial.ac.uk
gsu.treasurer@imperial.ac.uk
ICSMSU Dariush Hassanzadeh-Baboli medic.clubsandsocs@imperial.ac.uk
Alex Compton medic.treasurer@imperial.ac.uk
Media
Cem Hurrell media.chair@imperial.ac.uk
Kunal Wagle media.treasurer@imperial.ac.uk
OSC
Soo Hong osc.chair@imperial.ac.uk
Shengze Wang osc.treasurer@imperial.ac.uk
rag.chair@imperial.ac.uk
rag.treasurer@imperial.ac.uk
RCC
Benjamin Fernando rcc.chair@imperial.ac.uk
Benjamin Howitt rcc.treasurer@imperial.ac.uk
RCSU
Serena Yuen rcsu.vpo@imperial.ac.uk
James Badman rcsu.treasurer@imperial.ac.uk
RSMU
Benjamin Warnick rsm.chair@imperial.ac.uk
Matthew Pike rsm.treasurer@imperial.ac.uk
SCC
Tom Rivlin scc.chair@imperial.ac.uk
Soo Hong scc.treasurer@imperial.ac.uk
Silwood
Shorok Mombrikotb & Claire Bankier silwood.chair@imperial.ac.uk
Samuel Lloyd silwood.treasurer@imperial.ac.uk
RAG
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Key contacts and supporters
Volunteers with a welfare remit For volunteers with a welfare remit the main points of support are the Deputy President (Welfare) and Education & Welfare Manager. Christopher Kaye Deputy President (Welfare)
dpwelfare@imperial.ac.uk 020 7594 8060, extension 58064
Andrew Keenan Education & Welfare Manager
a.keenan@imperial.ac.uk 020 7594 5387, extension 45387
There are also eight volunteer students who hold welfare officer positions. Campaigns Officer
icu-campaigns@imperial.ac.uk
Katherine Chio International Officer
icu-international@imperial.ac.uk
Kyle Hellemans LGBT Officer
icu-lgbt@imperial.ac.uk
Rhiannon Holden Ethics & Environmental Officer
icu-environmental@imperial.ac.uk
Madeleine Maxwell Gender Equality Officer
icu-gender-equality@imperial.ac.uk
Shamim Ahmed Interfaith Officer
icu-interfaith@imperial.ac.uk
Courtney Williams Disabilities Officer
icu-disabilities@imperial.ac.uk
Shiqu Qiu Black & Minority Ethnic Students Officer
icu-bme@imperial.ac.uk
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Key contacts and supporters
Other volunteers For other volunteers not covered in this section, please contact the Union President or Membership Services Manager for advice as to the best people to support and assist you. Tom Wheeler Union President
union.president@imperial.ac.uk 020 7594 8060, extension 58061
Phil Power Membership Services Manager
philip.power@imperial.ac.uk 020 7594 8125, extension 48125
Other Union staff contacts There are also other members of staff who’ll be able to help you in your role. Shakira Hylton Marketing & Communications Manager s.hylton@imperial.ac.uk 020 7594 2913, extension 42913
Speak to Shakira if you need help with your communication plans or technical help producing publicity materials.
Rob Osborne Marketing & Sales Coordinators unioncoms@imperial.ac.uk Rob: 020 7594 5307, extension 45307
Speak to Rob if you need help with your communication plans or technical help producing publicity materials.
Ally Cott Systems Coordinator club.web.enquiries@imperial.ac.uk 020 7594 6412, extension 46412
Ally is responsible for eActivities, speak to him if you discover an error with the system. He cannot help with finance queries.
Alex Mckee Central Services Manager a.mckee@imperial.ac.uk 020 7594 8091, extension 48091
Alex is responsible for the Union’s buildings, communications and IT.
Misha Levi Events Coordinator m.levi@imperial.ac.uk 020 7594 2560, extension 42560
Misha is responsible for events in the Union Building and events in Metric. Please read the Requesting Spaces training to see what help she can provide.
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Key contacts and supporters
Union Staff cont... Nick Snow Student Development Manager n.snow@imperial.ac.uk 020 7594 2862, extension 42862
Nick is able to answer any questions relating to Imperial Plus, Community Connections or non South Kensington student groups. He can support any volunteer in a volunteer role via Community Connections.
Rebecca Coxhead Governance & Administration Manager r.coxhead@imperial.ac.uk 020 7594 1597, extension 41597
Rebecca administers all of the Union’s committees, get in touch with her if you need to submit a paper or require an up-to-date version of a Union policy.
Matt Bowman Commercial Services Manager m.bowman@imperial.ac.uk 020 7594 3698, extension 43698
Matt is in charge of the Union’s bars, catering and entertainments.
Malcolm Martin Head of Finance icu.finance@imperial.ac.uk 020 7594 8069, extension 48069
Malcolm is in charge of the Union’s finance, complex queries can be directed to him. Read the Finance training manuals first though.
Joe Cooper Managing Director joseph.cooper@imperial.ac.uk 020 7594 8097, extension 48097
Joe is in charge of the Union’s staff and acts as a signatory on the Union’s bank accounts in the absence of the Union President.
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Student Activities Centre (SAC) What is the SAC and where is it?
Contact Details
The Student Activities Centre is where all services and support for volunteers is coordinated from. The centre is located in a specially built facility on floor 2M of the main Union Building in Beit Quadrangle on the South Kensington campus.
Email: activities.centre@imperial.ac.uk Ext: 020 7594 8066 (int x48066) Fax: 020 7594 8123 Web: imperialcollegeunion.org/sac
What is the SAC for? The Student Activities Centre team can assist with any queries about the day-to-day running of Clubs, Societies & Projects, as well as queries regarding any volunteer role. Services provided in the Student Activities Centre include:
Opening Hours Monday to Friday, 10.00-18.00. Open during holidays except during College Closure.
Services for volunteers
AA Free computing, scanning and blackand-white printing facilities AA Free telephone and fax services. AA A pigeonhole for each Club, Society & Project (this is where mail is delivered) AA Document laminating AA Free first aid kits AA A range of borrowable equipment AA Free mailing facilities AA Collection of minibus keys AA Minibus introductory sessions AA Room requests AA Purchase of Associate Membership
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Requesting spaces to use For many activities you may want to use a room on campus. Depending on where you would like to book, there may be different processes in place. All the information about this and the various rules associated with using spaces is contained within Requesting Spaces training. This training and validation quiz is compulsory for anyone booking or requesting spaces. There are some rooms on the South Kensington campus that are managed by the College’s Conference Office rather than the Union. These rooms include the Great Hall, Queen’s Tower Rooms, the Seminar & Learning Centre and the Senior Common Room. If you wish to use these spaces then you should contact the Conference Office via the Student Hub. Many rooms on various campuses can be requested for Union groups and volunteers at no cost via the Student Activities Centre’s online request system, imperialcollegeunion.org/roombooking This is made possible through an agreement with the various College departments, as they are not obliged to let students use their spaces for nonacademic purposes. Imperial is fortunate enough to have many sports facilities, which can be booked for long and short term use by contacting the Sports Partnership Administrator.
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Room booking requests can only be made as late as two weeks in advance of the date you would like to book because of the amount of time it takes to process the high number of requests and various necessary approval stages. Only request to book as many slots as you need. There are many groups seeking to use space. Similarly, if you have booked a room and you subsequently find that you will not need to use it, please cancel your booking. Please note that you cannot make room bookings in your department’s building through the student office.
AA You must book spaces you wish to use – under no circumstances should you just turn up and start using a room.
Room Etiquette Always leave spaces tidy, regardless of the state in which you found them. Make sure you return the furniture to the agreed room layout, again regardless of the format in which you discovered it. I f you find a space in an unsatisfactory state then report it, otherwise you may receive the blame from the subsequent users. Treat spaces well, leave them tidy and don’t break anything. REMEMBER: What you do can affect every group’s use of a space.
Organising activities & advertising Organising regular Events & Activities is something that most volunteers will spend a lot of their time in office doing. There is specific guidance available for organising different types of events online at imperialcollegeunion.org/ training. When going about planning your event or activity, identify what the aim or objective is. Is it a social event? Or to raise funds? It is important that everyone has this in mind for the subsequent planning stages.
Funding Events & Activities How is the activity or event going to be paid for? It may be the case that you have been allocated some money from the Union to support this, otherwise you may need to seek sponsorship or recoup the cost from ticket sales. Regardless of what method you use, you should complete an event budget and have this approved, guidance is given in the Event Budgeting training manual.
External Guests If you have invited a guest or speaker to your event, you’ll have to provide details of who they are when you submit your request for space, so that College Security know who is meant to be on campus. More information about approval of speakers can be found in the Requesting Spaces training manual.
Food, drink, marshals & rights There are specific rules surrounding providing food and drink at events organised through the Union and on Imperial’s campuses, see the Requesting
Spaces training manual for more details. For large events you may have to nominate marshals from within the organising team to assist with evacuating areas in the event of an emergency. Specific guidance regarding marshals is available online, and anyone acting as a marshal must undertake the Marshaling training quiz module to learn about their responsibilities. Performance rights must also be taken into account, so it is important to read the small print - even for things like showing DVD’s in lecture theatres. It may be the case that you’ll have to pay for the use of copyrighted material. If you have any queries with regards to copyrighted materials please contact the Student Activities Manager. Careers events can be very beneficial to your student peers, but should be approached with caution. More information can be found on this topic by looking online at imperialcollegeunion. org/training. Some types of careers events are suitable to be organised by volunteers, others should be organised by the College Careers Advisory Service.
Publicity Good publicity is said to be worth about 70% of a successful event or activity, so it shouldn’t be underestimated. A set of publicity rules has been agreed between the Union and the College, these govern all types of publicity you may undertake, these are contained within the Publicity training manual. Key Information for the Volunteers 2014/15
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Organising activities & advertising
There is more to advertising than posters though. You can afford to be really creative in this aspect, such as customising clothing or items related to your club activity. Also don’t forget the power of social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter, and make sure you follow the Union @icunion. The ‘What’s On’ calendar on the Union website, imperialcollegeunion.org/whatson is a great way to advertise events. Have a look at the Publicity training manual for details.
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Safety Safety must be an important consideration for every volunteer. Everyone has a responsibility for the safety of the people participating in events and activities. For every event or activity you organise a Risk Assessment should be in place. Risk Assessments are covered in the Principal Officers training, including where and how to submit them. The idea of a risk assessment isn’t to stop activities, but to ensure that you’ve thought how to minimise any existing risks, and thought through what you would do if an accident did happen and how you would manage the situation. This way, you won’t have to think on your feet in an emergency.
Activities on Campus If you are undertaking your activities on any campus at Imperial you are not required to fill in an activity registration, however there are specific rules and procedures that must be followed, these are outlined in the Requesting Spaces training manual and in the specific guidance for different types of events. However, if there is a problem, you can call security on 020 7589 1000 from any phone or dial 4444 from any internal handset. They can provide first aid or guide you through a situation on the phone if they aren’t able to arrive quickly enough. They can also arrange for the emergency services to come to any campus if required.
What if something goes wrong? If an accident occurs off-campus there are a few simple things to remember and do: AA Do call for help. The emergency number in the United Kingdom is 999. If you have travelled abroad, remember to look up the emergency number of the country you are going to before you leave. Give it to everyone in your group. AA When the situation is stable, report the incident to College Security on 020 7589 1000. Security is manned 24 hours a day, every day of the year. AA Do not talk to the press or admit liability for an incident. The Union should not find out about an accident from national newspapers! While this might sound serious, every year incidents do happen so it is crucial everyone knows what to do. Make sure you add the phone number for security into your mobile phone. You should submit an accident report form to the Student Activities Centre with 48 hours of your return.
Accident Reporting In the event that an accident has occurred, it’s very important to report it. You do not get into trouble if you report an accident, but the aim is to prevent similar accidents from happening in the future.
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Safety
In order to do this you should fill in an accident report form. You can download these from the website imperialcollegeunion.org/accidents, or ask for one in the Student Activities Centre. There are accident report forms in the folders found in all minibuses.
Activity Registrations
Accident reporting is in line with College policy, which fulfills the College’s legal obligations in this area, so it is important that you comply with this procedure.
The registration must be carried out online using eActivities, details are contained within the Trips & Tours and Principal Officers manuals. It will literally take two or three minutes.
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Registration of activities is mandatory for all Clubs, Societies & Projects. The information provided will help the Union and the College in the case of an emergency involving participants of events or trips.
Finance Any activities which are undertaken by volunteers which involve handling money must be operated through the Union’s finance system. This predominantly affects Clubs, Societies & Projects.
AA This is a legal requirement and one you cannot avoid. You cannot start a bank account for activities which you conduct as part of your role as a volunteer at the Union. The Union’s finance system fulfils all necessary legal requirements and also offers free use of the online sales facilities through the Union’s website. Specific mandatory training is required for those who are responsible for groups with money or organise and run activities which cost or generate money. More information is available online at imperialcollegeunion.org/training. Of particular relevance are the Money In, Money Out and Event Budgeting guides.
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Community Connections Community Connections Community Connections connects Imperial College Union members to volunteering opportunities in the local community. Whatever your interest or timetable, whether you’re looking for an individual opportunity or want to volunteer in a group activity, there will be something to suit everyone. You can register at imperialcollegeunion. org/activities/volunteering/registration to receive the fortnightly Community Connections e-bulletin to find out about the latest volunteering opportunities. Alternatively you can search for your ideal volunteering opportunity via the Union’s Community Connections website pages. imperialcollegeunion.org/activities/ volunteering/volunteering-opportunities
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Community Connections hosts regular fun and rewarding Mass Volunteer events. You can register for them via the Community Connections Mass Volunteering pages imperialcollegeunion. org/activities/volunteering/massvolunteering or if you are part of a student group looking for a group activity or team building opportunity, email volunteering@imperial.ac.uk
Volunteer Policies Volunteers are essential to Imperial College Union in delivering our many services and activities for our members. The wide range of skills, expertise and commitment volunteers bring enables the Union to provide activities and services which would be unimaginable without their dedication and support. As such, there are a number of Imperial College Union policies to protect and enhance our volunteer’s and member’s experiences that all volunteers should be aware of. These are available online at imperialcollegeunion.org/volunteering/ policies In some circumstances those who volunteer with the Union may act inappropriately. Instances of inappropriate behaviour will be dealt with under provisions in Union Bye Law E. Outcomes can include suspension or dismissal from a volunteer role, the requirement to carry out College Service, a fine or charge being levied or in more serious cases referral to a College Disciplinary Committee Policies relevant to volunteers include: Volunteer Policy The Volunteer Policy includes an outline of our principles of volunteer engagement; volunteer recruitment, selection and dismissal; training development and recognition of volunteers; support available to volunteers; and expectations, what the Union expects of volunteers and what volunteers can expect from the Union.
The Union expects volunteers: AA To treat others with respect and courtesy, act in a manner which is appreciative of the wide diversity within the Union’s membership, and not discriminate against others on any grounds. AA To be an ambassador for the Union and the College, bringing neither into potential disrepute and maintain good relations with the external community. AA To perform their volunteering role to the best of their ability, undertaking the tasks within the role description and to be clear and upfront if they are experiencing problems or difficulties undertaking the role. AA To follow the Union’s policies and procedures, including Equal Opportunities, Health & Safety, and Finance. AA To respond to emails and other messages within a reasonable timeframe and to attend on time, or give reasonable notice to cancel or rearrange meetings. AA To have a willingness to learn, to undertake all mandatory training as part of their volunteering role and make a commitment to undertake relevant optional training. Volunteers can expect the Union: AA To treat them with respect and courtesy, and act in a manner which is appreciative of the wide diversity within the Union’s membership. Key Information for the Volunteers 2014/15
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Volunteer Policies
AA To provide a role description for their volunteering role as well as training, support, and resources to help them undertake the role. AA To provide online and in-person services to support individuals undertaking volunteer roles. AA To promote their activities, achievements and successes in line with the Union’s guidance on publicity; and to undertake recognition schemes such as the Union Awards and Imperial Plus. AA To respond to your emails, messages and requests within a reasonable timeframe. AA To be mindful of academic life and not make requests which are potentially detrimental to academic success. AA To investigate complaints within an appropriate timeframe and keep complainants informed as to progress. Expenses policy We will endeavour to ensure that volunteers will never be out of pocket as a result of volunteering with or via Imperial College Union. However, before you use your own money to pay for anything related to your volunteering role, volunteers must ensure they read the Imperial College Union expenses policy and speak to the relevant volunteer, officer or staff member with budgetary responsibility to ensure personal expenses will be refunded. 26
Key Information for the Volunteers 2014/15
Expenses will only be refunded where receipts have been attached/uploaded to accompany a hard copy expenses form or an online claim. Complaints Policy In the first instance, complaints should be addressed to the President of the Union, unless the complaint is about the President, in which case they should be addressed to the Chair of the Trustee Board, via the Secretary to the Trustee Board. For more information on the Union’s Complaints & Disciplinary procedures, as set out in its governing documents, please see Bye-Law E. If you wish to complain about a volunteering opportunity you have participated in via Imperial College Union’s Community Connections, in the first instance you can discuss this with Nick Snow, Student Development Manager. Similarly, if you wish to complain about Imperial Plus, Nick can also be contacted. Alternatively, complaints can be directed as outlined above. The Union is committed to investigating complaints within an appropriate timeframe and keep complainants informed as to progress.
Volunteer Policies
Equality Opportunities and Diversity Imperial College Union as an employer, a service provider and a representative body for students is committed to a policy of equal opportunities for all and has an Equal Opportunity Policy, which is applicable to volunteers. Under 18’s Policy The Union has a number of members aged under 18. As far as is practicable the aim of the Union is to treat members aged under 18 in the same way as those aged 18 or over. There are however certain considerations the Union and the College needs to apply to those aged under 18, so a minority of the activities they can become in involved in are restricted. Further restrictions apply to students aged less than 16. Those aged under 18 may not become members of the committee of a Club, Society or Project or a trustee of the Union. A minority of opportunities advertised through Community Connections may not be able to be taken up by students under 18. They will however be able to vote in all Union elections and join Clubs, Societies & Projects. Certain club activities are classed as increased risk, students under 18 will be able to participate in these activities subject to providing a signed parental consent form. They will not be able to participate in any residential activities or in Union activities which take place outside of the UK. Certain activities are also governed by the law, such as use of the Union’s bars and screening of
films, in these cases the requirements of the law apply with reference to age restricted activities. The Union’s full policy on members aged under 18 can be found online at imperialcollegeunion.org/your-union/ policies/92/file Equal Opportunities Policy It is the responsibility of all our volunteers and staff that anyone having dealings with the Union will receive equal treatment regardless of race, colour, sex, nationality, ethnic origin, marital status, disability, parental status, religious and political belief, socio-economic background, HIV status, trade union membership, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, age, degree status, degree subject and degree year. Unequal treatment upon these grounds constitutes unfair discrimination. It is vital that any activities being organised by the Union do not give unequal treatment to different groups. All Union business including that within Clubs, Societies and Projects and other volunteering opportunities will be conducted in English only excepting where an alternative is used specifically for educational purposes and does not inhibit the ability of anyone to participate.
Key Information for the Volunteers 2014/15
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Tel: 020 7594 8060 Fax: 020 7594 8065 Email: union@imperial.ac.uk Twitter: @icunion imperialcollegeunion.org